Land o' Sweets

Seeing "Nutcracker" at NYCB, in a theater full of kids

Curious about Taylor Stanley’s début as Drosselmeier in Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” I caught an 11AM matinee for New York schoolkids. Energy in the theater was off the charts. The good news is that the kids seemed delighted by what they saw. They clapped along during the formal dances in the party scene, and gave a round of applause to the young prince (Hannon Hatchett) when he magically emerged from his Nutcracker costume, wearing a dapper pink suit. They gave Hatchett another round of applause after his mime scene, in which he recalls the perils of the battle. And how they squealed at the scurrying of the rats! (This is New York—we know rats.) I was moved, too, by the sudden hush as soon as Sugarplum (Miriam Miller) appeared, delicately gliding on her pointes. Not a peep was heard as she undertook each sequence of sideways walks on pointe, precise soutenus, half turns. The ballerina mystique is real—embedded deep in our chromosomes. True, Miller was lovely, with her soft, yielding upper body and graceful use of her shoulders and head. I just wish her dancing in the final pas de deux, with Alec Knight, had had a little more oomph. (However, I appreciate her deep backbends in his arms.) India Bradley, too, had a fantastic time as Dewdrop, light, sharp, quick, with exciting jumps and high extensions. A little nod to Alexander Perone, a long-legged apprentice, in the tea dance, which he performed with a mix of elegance and playfulness. Balanchine’s Nutcracker is a perfect machine, eliciting a predictable set of responses: delight, emotion, coziness, wonder (as when the Marie and the Nutcracker boy head into the woods, to that grandiose music). Thank you Tchaikovsky, whose melodies and orchestrations feel as fresh today as they did in 1892 in St. Petersburg. Harrison Hollingsworth’s musical interpretation was a tad less accented than the norm at NYCB—interesting, since he’s also the orchestra’s principal bassoon player. And what about Taylor Stanley’s Drosselmeier? Dancey and delicate, almost sprite-like, unsurprising for anyone who knows Stanley’s dancing. I’m sure the characterisation will develop greater depth over time. The kids and I will be there to see it.

Miriam MIller as the Sugarplum Fairy, by Erin Baiano

India Bradley as Dewdrop, by Erin Baiano